Track-cleaner



A. DAY. TRACK CLEANER.

Patented Feb. 4, 1890'.

' UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

'AUGIJ'STUS DAY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

TRACK-CLEAN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 420,639, dated February4, 1890. Application filed August 9, 1889. Serial No. 320,196. (Nomodel.)

ments in Track-Cleaners; and I hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of trackcleaners which are attachedto a street-railway car and removes the snow, sleet, ice, or mud fromthe rail by sweeping its surface.

The object of my invention is to so construct the blade or scraper ofthe track-cleaner that it shall present a springing edge to the surfaceof the rail, which will remove all the snow, sleet, ice, or otherobstruction which may be upon it, but more particularly such as would bepassed over or left on the rail by the ordinary snow plow or scraper,and also to provide means to readily change the working-blades of thescraper which are in contact with the rail whenever such change may berequired, and to prevent the clogging of the blade by snow or ice.

It consists in forming the lower edge of the blade or scraper ofthe-track-cleaner of a series of independent spring-blades; in soconstructing each particular blade that while its upper end is at rightangles with the rail its lower end, which rests upon the rail, shallstand diagonally to the rail, so as to throw any obstacle outwardly fromthe track; in making the lower edge sectional, yet continuous in themeans to readily remove or replace any of the spring-blades whennecessary; in the means for preventing the clogging of the spring-bladeswith snow and ice, and in the particular construction, arrangement, andcombination of the several parts, as hereinafter more particularly setforth.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front of my scraper with a portionof the main blade and the covering-plate broken away, showing theconnection of the spring-blades with the main blade. Fig. 2 is a planView of the-bottom of the main blade on the line x 00 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a vertical sectional view through the line y y in Fig. 1, showing thespringblade.

In the drawings, A represents the main blade of my track-cleaner, whichis attached by'means of a proper draw-bar and diagonal brace to thebottom of a car.

B is a serrated or notched flange projecting backwardly and forming thelower edge of the main blade of my scraper or track-cleaner. Theseserrations or notches form the shoulders O O, which are perforated at cfor the passage of the bolt E.

D D are spring-blades, perforated at d for the passage of the bolt-E, bywhich, with the nut e, they are firmly secured to the shouldersC 0. Asthe main blade of my trackcleaner stands diagonally to the rail, theshoulders G 0 should stand at right angles to the rail. The shoulders O0 being at right angles with the line of the rail, the flat sides orfaces of the SlJllllgJJltCh-BS, when secured to the shoulders, will alsobe at right angles with the rail. of the spring-blade permits the lowerand free portion to move forward or backward in a direction parallelwith the rail. As it is necessary that the face of the lower end of thespring-blade should be parallel with the main blade and stand diagonallyto the rail, atwist of one-eighth of a turn in its length is given tothe spring-blade: This twist gives the spring-blade a movement diagonalto the rail. Thus the motion of the free end of the springblade will bebackward and sidewise in one direction and forward and sidewise in thereverse direction. As these shoulders and spring-blades are arrangedafter the first, each behind and at one side of the preceding one, and aless distance apart than the width of the spring-blades, thespring-blades at the bottom overlap each other in turn. The first blade,on meeting an obstacle, springs back against the second, the secondagainst the third, and so on through the series. When the first haspassed or removed the obstacle, it springs back into place, and theothers fol- This position of the upper end low in turn, so that inremoving an obstacle IOC) the blade. This rib is cast integral with theblade and the serrations.

F is an auxiliary or covering blade bolted on the front side of the mainblade and extending over and below the notched edge of the main frame,so as to cover the upper portion of the spring-blades and to protectthat portion from the snow and ice which might pack in between them andimpede their action.

Vhat I claim as my invention is-- 1. In a track-cleaner, the combinationof the main blade of the scraper with the overlapping spring-bladesforming the lower edge of the scraper, substantially as described.

2. In a traok cleaner, the combination of themain blade of the scraperwith the overlapping'spring-blades forming the lower edge of thescraper, and" the means for connecting them together, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a track-cleaner, the combination of the niainblade of the scraperwith the twisted spring-blades forming the lower edge of the scraper,and the means for connecting them, substantially as described.

4. In a track-cleaner, the combination of the main blade with thespringblades, the means for connecting the spring-blades to the mainblade, and the covering-blade, all substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

5. In a track-cleaner, the combination of the rigid upper portion of theblade of the scraper with the overlapping sectional springblades of thelower edge, substantially as set forth. V I

6. In a track-cleaner, the combination of the main blade of the scraperwith the sectional spring-blades on the lower edge and thecovering-plate bolted to the front of the main blade,substantially' asdescribed. I

y AUGUSTUS DAY.

Witnesses:

JAY BAKER, J OHN N. FULLER;

